“I am glad Mama Fm is empowering the community on different issues especially human rights” Anuka Kolehmainen chats with Kalpana Bhandari, an FK participant from Nepal.
Anuka is a translator from Turku, south west of Helsinki the capital of Finland. She translates books and documents from English to Finish, for the listeners of Radio Robinhood. Robinhood is a community radio station located in Turku where Anuka works as a volunteer.
Radio Robinhood is running a four year project with Mama Fm in Kampala, Uganda that involves exchange of participants from North to South and South to North. Anuka was on exchange visit to Mama radio to familiarize herself on how the radio articulates women issues.
”Mama is doing many programs focusing on women issues. The agenda of the radio is clear, women and human rights. It is a platform for the voiceless and marginalized people. The community radio addresses the grassroots on a range of issues, organizes trainings that enhance the skills of the people, thus contributing to community development.
Radio Robinhood has diverse programs where presenters are presenting programs according to NGO interests. These include trade union program and immigrant communities among others. The radio has programs for minorities including Somalis, kurdis and Arabs who present in their own language” Annuka says.
Just like Annuka, Emilia Melasuo translator at Radio Robinhood. She works as a volunteer with Etnia association, which caters for the interests of indigenous people. Similarly Etnia partners with Robinhood on different projects, for instance organizing film festivals annually, informs the Finish people about Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Emilia said that, coming to Uganda to visit Mama Radio was given opportunity for her due to the cooperation between Etnia, Robin hood and Mama Radio.
Power of community radio
The power of radio lies in the reach of its audience similarly Kalpana Bhandari FK exchange participant from Nepal confirms that Mama Fm, a community radio station in Kampala is truly speaking for voice of voiceless. Even in Nepal community radios are appreciated because they reach grass root people by equipping them with information and also for interaction. However Bhandari does not have direct experience in working with the community radio in Nepal. The FK program has exposed to the operations of a community radio station. She has been involved in news writing, outreach community programs among others.
In the same way Anuka and Emila affirm that radio is a powerful tool of reaching massive audience, ”Mama Fm is very impressive and doing important work in domestic violence prevention using the radio”.
Discovering Uganda
An English proverb says “Work without a play makes Jane a dull girl” likewise Anuka and Emilia took time to visit Queen Elizabeth Park, in western Uganda. Anuka and Emilia got to see nature at its best. The forests were so green with the fauna and flora.
“To be close to nature is really exciting for us. We found the people very friendly. They never refused to help us whenever we asked them for help” Annuka and Emilia explain.
Passing through the Mabira forest was refreshing to seeing giant trees with birds’ chipping from far and near. The journey was not tiring but replenishing, our destination was the source of the Nile in Jinja. What a treat!
